Wasp: How does Arnold use the form of social realism to develop the character Zoe?

 

Wasp: How does Arnold use the form of social realism to develop the character Zoe?

In the Wasp short film Arnold uses different forms of social realism to develop the main character Zoe, in between them the use of the camera, editing, sound, acting and the dialogue between the characters. From the very beginning the audience sees the poverty and bad conditions the family is living on and this intensifies as the film goes on.

When they are leaving their house and going down the stairs in the first scene, the use of closeups are used to make the audience focus on the poverty this family is living on as it shows that the mother has no shoes and that the baby does not have a diaper. It is a great way of getting to know the main character and her environment without dialogue. There are also a few separated shots of the other family members that lets the audience believe that this is a dysfunctional and not a united family. There is also a sense of turbulence due to the use of handheld camera techniques, giving the scene a sense of chaos, realism and turbulence that lets the audience with a shocking opening. The natural lighting also helped Arnold create this social realistic environment, making this dysfunctional family situation more believable. 

The sound in the short film is mainly diegetic as there is no background music as it would make it less realistic and believable. But to highlight the dysfunction of the family, Arnold uses the overlapping dialogue between the characters that may consist on swearing and harsh comments between the characters. Sometimes the dialogues may not even be heard, which is a small detail that makes the situation more realistic. 

Another form to make the short film more realistic is the natural acting. Zoe acts according to her situation and lifestyle. She meets an old boyfriend and agrees to meet him that night, emphasising a few times that she hasn't had a night out in a long time. She is not able to find a babysitter to look out for her kids so, as any human being that allows themselves to make a selfish decision, she decides to take them with her to the pub. When she arrives to meet Dave she tells her kids to stay outside, as if she were ashamed and didn't want him to see them. Even though it does not look like it, Zoe prioritises her kids and is aware of them and their needs as she keeps going back and fourth to see what they need. When one of her kids shouts for help when the baby has a wasp on his mouth, she goes running to help and to protect them even though she is with Dave. At the end of the day, Zoe is just a mother who is trying her best to have a better life while taking her of her four kids even through the rough circumstances. 









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